Equinor and partners Vår Energi and Petoro have struck oil in exploration well 7220/7-4 in production licence 532 in the Barents Sea. Recoverable resources are so far estimated at between 5 and 8m standard cubic metres of recoverable oil, corresponding to 31–50m barrels of recoverable oil.
The well was drilled about 10km southwest from the well 7220/8-1 on the Johan Castberg field, and 210km northwest of Hammerfest.
Well 7220/7-4 was drilled by the Transocean Enabler drilling rig, which will now return to and continue drilling on the Equinor-operated Johan Castberg field.
Equinor has been active in the Barents Sea since it was opened more than 40 years ago. Exploration well 7220/7-4 is the first of four planned exploration wells for Equinor in the Barents Sea this year (as operator or partner).